Carry On
by Lon Wolfgood
Summary: Sequel to Last Stop. It is difficult to carry on living when your loved one has gone. A journey to Leorio's hometown might give them closure.
1. Chapter 1

**Carry On  
**

**Notes:** This is the sequel to "Last Stop", so I recommend you read that story before you continue to read this one, if you haven't already. But **I warn you** that if you think "Last Stop" doesn't need a continuation or that it'd ruin the story, don't keep reading this one.

The names of some places and facts are made up. This story is told on the chapter's teller point of view. However, they don't speak of the same situations, so you must read each one as you'd do with a normal chaptered story.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Gon, Journey to Mediane Vaine**

I'm laughing, and ignoring what's happening right beside me. Right in front of me, Kurapika mutters that I'm cheating, and that it's probably Killua's fault for teaching me how to do it. Speaking of the devil... I glance at him and frown, he's not looking at us. He seems to be in a state of shock, looking at...

I turn to my older friend, he seems to be asleep. Only... he's not. Kurapika keeps looking at his cards in frustration, probably planning his next move, while I place my fingers on Leorio's neck, looking for a pulse. At this, his partner looks up and drops all the cards.

I move back, as Kurapika confirms that Leorio is no longer with us. We stay quiet, not knowing what to do. There's a faint smile on our friend's lips, it really makes me think he left ok, as if telling us not to worry. Looking at the Kuruta's fallen cards, I see that he won...

* * *

We are standing on the ground before the beach. We've gathered wood and with Leorio's car we made a flat surface. Now he lays there, lifeless, covered on wood and branches.

"He said he was born in Mediane Vaine," Kurapika tells us. He's got no expression on his face, but his eyes are a mix of red and blue. "And he wanted to follow the Kuruta tradition..." he added, in a whisper. "We, the Kuruta, think the body binds us to the land of the living. For the soul to be completely free, the body must be burnt and the ashes must be thrown on the place of birth."

I nod at his explanation. "We'll do that, then."

Kurapika takes a piece of wood and sets it on fire. He then throws it on the pile covering our friend. We had put some gasoline so that the fire catches up quickly. The Kuruta starts humming some sort of tribal melody, and I suppose it's part of the ritual.

Killua is looking down, and the fire makes reflections on his tears. I take his hand into mine, and as the fire intensifies, so does Kurapika's humming.

* * *

We gather the ashes, a couple of hours later, and we put it on a small wooden box. I made it myself, and I put a picture of us four in it. Kurapika ties a chain around the box, so it'll be closed. Not his own chain, of course. But the meaning is the same.

I tell Killua to get a map while we get in the car. Kurapika sits on the back, with the box tightly in his hands. I decide to drive, since my partner is too... distracted. He hands me the map and I spot _Mediane Vaine_ a bit far from where we are. It will probably take us a day or two to get there.

"Thanks," I tell Killua, while I turn on the engine and the radio. We need some noise in this car, or I'll go completely nuts! He shrugs and leans back on the seat.

With a sigh, I drive away from the _Last Stop_ motel. What an irony...

The radio plays some happy songs, but I don't think it's helping anyone. We're simply not in the mood. But silence is the last thing I want, so I leave it on. Once in a while, I glance at Killua. But he seems to be looking at the roadside.

Through the rear-view mirror I see Kurapika doing just about the same, but with the box on his lap. Hands clutching it as if his life depended on it. I look back at the road, and try to ignore the pain I feel.

As if my luck wasn't bad enough, the radio suddenly plays a song that seems to have no other purpose than to make us all cry.

_"... Every step I take, every move I make_

_Every single day, every time I pray_

_I'll be missing you_

_Thinking of the day, when you went away_

_What a life to take, what a bond to break_

_I'll be missing you..."_

Killua slams his hand on the radio control, turns it off, and goes back to his mindless staring of the road. Kurapika is crying, probably because of the song. And I feel my own face wet, my vision blurry.

_We miss you, friend.

* * *

_

There are no hotels or anything to stay the night, so I simply park the car on the side of the road. Killua quickly falls asleep, and Kurapika hugs the box tightly, but stays awake. He's getting obsessive again...

I slide my way towards him and sit beside him. "Hey." But get no response. "Listen... You have to sleep a few hours, you'll get sick if you don't."

"I don't care," he says in a monotonous voice. I have hoped, in all these years, to never hear that tone again. But here he is...

"Please."

"Leave me alone, Gon," he says, and looks away.

Ok, that went terribly bad. So I go back to my seat, and shake Killua a bit. "Hey," I repeat the process.

"I'm trying to sleep," his voice is sharp, and it tells me not to bug him.

I sigh in exasperation, but obey. I'll try tomorrow... I make myself as comfortable as I can, and fall asleep.

_"Gon, could you do me a favor? When I go... I want you to keep an eye on him..."_

I open my eyes slowly. The sun is already on the horizon, and I think of my dream. Leorio's voice, and then all those times he's been with us. Like when he got Killua and I the cell phones, or when we covered his face with ice cream... All that was in my dream...

Killua stirs awake, and looks at me briefly, before looking outside. "Good morning," I say, but he doesn't reply. "Killua... What's wrong?"

A soft sigh escapes his lips. "He's gone."

I look down. "I know... But Leorio would have wanted us to be happy..."

He glares at me, and points behind us with his thumb. "I meant _him_." I raise an eyebrow as I look at the backseat. Kurapika was nowhere to be seen.

"Where did he go?" I ask, as I turn on the engine.

"I don't know. He left three hours ago," he yawns and looks away.

I feel anger now. I turn on the engine while talking. "Why didn't you tell me this?" I ask, my voice a bit louder than I intended.

"It's none of our business," he replies casually.

"He's our friend!" I yell, hitting the pedal and driving as fast as I could, trying to find Kurapika. I hope he doesn't do anything stupid. Then I remember, he won't do that just yet... He has to get to Mediane Vaine first...

Killua is silent while I drive desperately looking around for the Kuruta. I made a promise, and I won't let Leorio down. "There he is," my partner supplies, in what I think is a apologetic tone. Indeed, where he is pointing to, a young man is walking with something in his arms.

"Kurapika!" I exclaim, stopping the car and jumping out. "Kurapika! Come back, I'll take you there!"

He doesn't stop. And I run to him, putting myself on his way. "Move," he orders, his eyes red.

"No. Let me take you there," I insist. "It's a long walk."

He walks pass through me. "Leave me alone."

Again, I position myself in front of him. "Come on, Kurapika..."

He stops, but his face remains devoid of any feeling. And his eyes are still red. He reminds me of Irumi, Killua's older brother. "Why don't you leave me alone?"

I look at him seriously. "Because you're my friend."

He resumes his walking. But once again, I block his way. "If you keep doing that, I'll be forced to hurt you."

"I'm sorry, Kurapika. But you've got to understand... I made a promise to Leorio, and I plan to keep it."

"Me too. That's why I must do this on my own," he says, and doesn't stop. "Go back to your happy life," he adds, and suddenly I can't take it anymore...

"What the hell am I doing wrong?" I yell, not at him... I yell at anyone who wants to hear me. Tears are running down my face, I feel so useless... "I just don't know what to do anymore... I can't be Leorio! I can't make any of you feel better! I'm trying, but it seems I don't try hard enough!" I have to kneel, because I feel like I'll fall...

I can't hear Kurapika's steps anymore. But I hear hurried steps from the other side. And a pair of arms hug me. I hear sobs, and I know it's Killua. "I'm sorry," he says.

"Don't be," I sob back. I feel like a great weight was lifted off of my shoulders, like the pain I had been hiding in the last day is being released, at last. A hand falls on my left shoulder, and I look up to see Kurapika. He looks a little bit more alive than before.

"You don't have to be him... Just be yourself, Gon," he says.

* * *

After that little incident, we are back on the road. Killua has his hand covering mine. According to him, we're not that far from Mediane Vaine. I glance nervously at the fuel tank status on the board. It's almost empty! There are no other towns before Leorio's hometown...

But there seems to be a small gas station, I can see it on the horizon! Now, if the car would just hang on until we get there... "Why did you stop the car?" Killua asks, and I glare at him. No such luck...

"I didn't... We're out of fuel..." I explain. "But, lucky for us, there's a gas station up ahead. I'll pull the car towards it, and you drive." He nods and I jump out of the car. I pop my head inside briefly. "No cat fight," I warn them, and someone throws some unidentified object at me. Fortunately, I'm out before it hits me.

I push the car, and wish I could hear if they're talking or something. Whenever those two talked, something smart was being said... Unless Killua is being annoying... The vehicle is not that heavy, so it takes me only a good half an hour to get to the old-looking gas station.

It's a typical gas station in the middle of nowhere. An old man laughs loudly as I stop pushing the car. "Whoa! I remember when I used to push cars! Now I'm old, but I was the best in my times!"

"Hey, we'd like to fill the tank," I tell the man. He nods and gets up from his old chair.

The man quickly does his job, and I pay him. When I get into the car the man exclaims. "Good luck, boy!" And I wave back.

* * *

The rest of the trip to Mediane Vaine is uneventful. I park on a hill, not far from there. The place looks big and it has a medieval feel to it. There is even a tower with two bells... It's right over the coastline, and a clean, green grassland surrounds it from behind. "So..." I start.

Kurapika nods, I can see him from the rear-view mirror. "Let's go," he says.

We seem to have a silent agreement to go by foot. I close the car and we walk towards the town. The walk is not too long, and in a matter of minutes, we're there. The place is quiet, and I don't see anyone. "Where's everyone?" I ask, and Killua shrugs. So much for a conversation...

We keep walking, until we reach a rather big building on the center of the empty town. There is a sign that reads _"Orphanage"_. It's amazing how everything's made out of rock. Big blocks of rock. As I look around, an old woman comes out of the big building. "Hello, strangers," she greets us. "What can I do to help?"

I quickly walk to her. "Hello, lady. Do you know anyone by the name of Leorio?" I ask, politely. She looks thoughtful for a moment.

"Yes, I do," she smiles.

"Do you know where his family is?" Kurapika asks.

The woman blinks. "He has no family, dear," she answers. "He was abandoned by his mother after she gave birth here, since then... I took care of him. As I did with many others," she says, pointing to the orphanage. Little kids look at us through the windows. All smiling and giggling. "Where is he, anyway?"

I look down, not wanting to see her reaction. "He's working," Killua lies, and Kurapika nods. The old woman smiles, visibly buying it.

"Thank you for your time, ma'am," the Kuruta says, and walks off. We follow after him, not before saying goodbye to the woman. He goes directly to the edge of the town. There is a low wall, it reaches to my waist, that marks the limit of the town and the start of the sea.

"There is no seaport," Killua notices. I look around, and it's true. There is nothing, no dock, no boats... There's no way to go down! Maybe they trade by land? Quite weird for a seaside town...

Kurapika places the box on the wall, and starts disentangling the chains. "Do you have any last words?" he asks us. To my surprise, Killua nods.

"Thanks, old man, for letting me know that Gon was my friend," he mutters, and looks back to the sea. Now I remember what Satotsu told me that time... When I passed out on the final stage of the Hunter Exam. Leorio had told Killua that I already was his friend... Even if it gave Irumi an excuse to use it against him, I suppose it had a meaning...

"Gon?"

I think so much... Things he did for us... "I've looked so much for something that was in front of me all these years..." I whisper. Both Killua and Kurapika look at me surprised. The meaning of my words... A father figure... I know he'd hit me if he heard me... He'd say something about not being that old to have a son!

"Thank you, for being there for me. I love you. Please, behave..." Kurapika chuckles, tears streaming down his face. "Don't worry, I'll stay here for a while..." He smiles, closing his eyes. There is a gust of wind, and he opens the box.

Ashes in the sky... Ashes in the sea... Ashes everywhere... My friend, is everywhere...

* * *

We walk back to the car, and we hear bells. Looking back at the town's tower, I notice something... The bells are not connected to anything, and there's no one making them move. The wind does not have enough force to move those massive bells...

Killua and Kurapika tell me to hurry, so I get in the car, and drive off. "Could you stop at the gas station again?" my partner asks. "I want some chocolate."

"Yeah, I'm hungry too," Kurapika says.

"Sure," I say. My stomach grumbles. "I guess I'm hungry too." And we laugh... It feels good... I'm sure this is what Leorio wanted...

It doesn't take me too long to get there. I stop in front of the old building, get out of the car and look around. Where is the old man? It seems like no one lived here in... years! I walk back to the car, with a puzzled expression. "Uh, I don't think this place... is... open..."

Both of them look a bit surprised... Maybe too much. "Just get in the car, and let's go somewhere else," Killua tells me quickly.

I obey, and drive off. From the little mirror on my side, I can see the old man waving at me... and fading!

* * *

That laugh is annoying me... So much for city people...

"No one's been living in Mediane Vaine for _years_!" a man laughs on my face. We're now on a much modern gas station, near a big city. "Most of them died of some weird disease, and the rest was taken to other towns. The government then fumigated the whole town, and it was marked as historic place." Killua and Kurapika look as pale as I do.

Maybe they never truly left... But at least, Leorio did...

* * *

**Notes:** That's it for Gon's part of the story.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Killua, Death is not everything**

All my childhood I've been told to kill. Death is good, they said. Wish _they_ could die as easily as Leorio...

Gon has been very mushy these last three days. Not that I don't like it, but I'd really like him to grow up for a change. I suppose he's still grieving over his... _our_ friend...

Kurapika still doesn't eat that much, but he eats enough to keep on living. Gon decided, without even asking me, that he should live with us. At least until he shows positive changes, he told me.

I can't believe this... Old man passes away, and Gon and Kurapika go nuts. Man, what's wrong with this world?

With all this in mind, I decide to get up from our bed. Can't solve all this by staring at the ceiling and neglecting my stomach. Gon is still sleeping, which is really weird. I look at him to make sure he's breathing. Yes, still here. I let out a sigh I didn't know I was holding.

Well, the bathroom can wait. I'm starving! Quickly, yet quietly, I sneak out of the room and head towards the kitchen. I can't help snickering at Kurapika, mug in hand and eating a donut. Wait a minute... _My_ chocolate covered donut!

He blinks, confused. And then looks at the donut in question. "You wanted this?"

I sigh. "Nah, you can keep it." At least there are more on the counter. Chocolate covered, chocolate filled! I take the box with me and sit with the Kuruta. "You know, we'll be heading off in a couple of days. We got another lead," I tell him.

"Good. I can stay here, if you want." I hurry to talk, even though I'm still chewing.

"No!" I say a little too loud. "No. You go with us."

He has a disgusted expression. "Please, Killua. Swallow, then talk." I give him a sly look. "You _know_ I'm talking about _food_." I let out a laugh.

"Someone's cheerful today," I hear Gon behind at the door. "But didn't wake me up," he adds in a not-so-happy tone.

"Hey! _You_ are supposed to be the morning person here. I'm a cat, I sleep a lot, ok?" I snicker, licking my fingers and accepting the napkin Kurapika hands me. "Thanks."

He sighs. "It's decided then..." Gon and I look at each other and smile, and we turn to look at our older friend. Much to our annoyance, he isn't finished speaking. "I'll babysit you both during your journeys," he adds with a smirk.

* * *

**Notes:** That's it for Killua. I know, short. The next one will be the last one.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes:** This chapter has Kurapika's POV (point of view). It also has parts of what could be considered a prelude to "Last Stop". I've given up on the idea of writing one, so I'll just put it in this last chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Kurapika, Carry On**

I will never regret stopping my own quest to help Leorio. He helped me realize there's much more to life than revenge. Not even the spirits of my people could deny me of that. And they didn't. Maybe they've realized it as well.

The hate I felt... He simply brushed it away from my heart. He _cured_ me. And I'm grateful for that.

He was so scared when he called me. I've always thought him to be like me, an actor. He would pretend to not give a damn about people. I would do the same. But hearing him on the phone, crying his heart out, made me realize that we both had feelings. It broke down my own walls.

I cried with him. And when we had to hang up, I decided to quit my job and go with him. Senritsu seemed happy when I told her I wouldn't go after the Genei Ryodan anymore. She wished me luck, and that was the last time I saw her.

My time with Leorio during those last years of his life were good. Despite knowing that he'd go, I felt happy. I felt alive. Sometimes I would wonder if I was draining away _his_ life... He would snort and hold me, and tell me that if it was like that, then he didn't mind.

He'd have attacks. Convulsions, black outs, wounds for falling and hitting some part of his body... With each attack, a part of him stopped working. The medicine stopped helping after a year. But he never seemed scared, not like that night. He was confident.

Leorio died surrounded by his friends. That's how he wanted to go, he told me once. Hearing us laugh, and happy. We didn't let him down, I hope. Still, I wish he could have stayed longer... It's unfair. Why do the bad people stay and the good people go?

I've stopped traveling with Gon and Killua a six months ago, after being with them for a couple of years. It's time for me to carry on...

I have bought an abandoned building and made it a clinic. People are treated there for free, by doctors who have the same intentions Leorio had. Big Momma is now working there as well. She makes sure everyone's alright.

I use my Hunter Card and Leorio's for the clinic's funds. So far, we've saved many children of poor families. We give them financial support even after the treatment has been concluded. We help the parents get good jobs to support themselves afterward.

It's amazing how one person can change everyone so much. Leorio changed me, and helped me change others... The clinic has been on the news, and more people from all around the world will come. Because this won't be their last stop...

**The end

* * *

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**Updated August 2010:** Small grammar and spelling corrections, fixed dialogue format.**  
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